This week's stats:
- 66 miles
- 10M, while running hard up any uphills
- 11.3M MLR
- 16M with 7M @ 619/620/619/613/611/606/600
- 1 lift session
- 0 days off
- 3 days in Carbondale, Illinois
I spent the first three days of the week in Southern Illinois, working remotely from my childhood home. It's always nostalgic to run on the roads where I first discovered my passion for running. It's also quite...backcountry, er, rustic. I went out for a run on Monday morning, feeling energized and motivated to hit up a trail near a secluded lake. Even though the grass path is always mowed, the only time of year that you can actually enjoy it is in the winter. This is because all the baby seed ticks die (or hide?) and there's no longer any risk of running through a nest of baby ticks and having hundreds of microscopic ticks crawling through your shoe and up your ankle. Needless to say, I was pumped! Coming off a fun race at Club XC champs, I wanted more of the grass (a luxury item in California), and headed for the trail.
About 600 meters into the woods, near the tree that my family perched on for countless photos, I spotted something out of the corner of my eye. My heart skipped a beat because it looked like the shape of a person, and I really didn't want to look. I couldn't resist, and turned my head and saw a hunter with a bow and arrow, sitting on a deer stand. His head was down in such a way that I thought he might be dead (of course he was not) and he did not stir when I bounded past. Of course, I picked up the pace. As I sped down the long, straight downhill, I had grotesque images of me being shot in the back with an arrow. Okay, yes, it's a bit dramatic, but I really was concerned, and I just wasn't comfortable being near a deadly weapon. I also was worried that maybe other hunters were out there and that they would shoot at a deer, miss, and hit me instead.
I did learn an important lesson on this run though. Up until this run, I always got annoyed when my mom or dad asked me which route I planned to take. I wanted my "heart to just decide" once I hit the end of the driveway and then make a decision of where to go. Let's be real, I'm way too much of a planner to not actually have an idea of where I want to go on that run before I lace up my shoes. And so, I learned that I need to answer my parents' questions, or Peter's questions when they ask me where I'm running. Because I don't know what could happen on a run, and they're the people in the world who care the most about me. They deserve to have at least some clue as to where to start looking for me if I don't come back within a reasonable time from a run. Long story short, I'm sorry for being an asshole, mom and dad! I promise I'll always tell you the route I'm planning on taking before I leave your house!
End of PSA. I promise.
Despite the winter chill, and the end of the farming season, my dad left a row of winter carrots in the ground so that he and I could dig them up together! It was so fun and, not to mention, incredibly rewarding since the carrots are seriously the best I've ever had. So sweet and crisp. After pulling the carrots out of the ground, I pushed the wheelbarrow to the outdoor sink and washed all the mud off of them so we could make some pretty sweet organic carrot juice!
After a nice trip home, I finished out the week with my trusty partner in crime, Jenna, and my other partner in crime, Jonah, who is finally back after taking a break. Saturday's long run was special because it was the first time Jenna and I had run side-by-side for a workout in almost a year! It was so great. While I love all my guys, it's always really fun to pack it up with some strong women, and I was just so proud of Jenna for running so freaking fast just 3 months after having Ollie. It will certainly be exciting to watch her train next year!
